At Takumi's Residence in Uruk.
"Where is Takumi?! Tell that brat to come out and face this King!!"
Having sprinted all the way from the Ziggurat to Takumi's residence, Gilgamesh—absolutely refusing to believe the boy could die so easily—roared the second he kicked the front door open.
Hearing Gilgamesh's booming voice, Merlin and the others, who had been crowded around the bed, hurriedly stepped aside. This allowed Gilgamesh to get a clear, unobstructed view of Takumi lying motionless on the bed. One look was all it took to see that something was horribly wrong.
His eyes were peacefully closed. His hair had lost its usual vibrant, plasma-like luster. His skin was deathly pale. There was no rise and fall of breath in his chest, and the brilliant flame of life that usually radiated from his body seemed to have completely extinguished...
Seeing this irrefutable scene with his own eyes, Gilgamesh, finally forced to accept reality, felt his vision go dark. He nearly collapsed right there on the floor.
But the moment he recovered, profound shock instantly transformed into uncontrollable, explosive fury.
"...You absolute imbecile—what do you think I had Siduri assign you those tasks for?! I did it so you could experience the culture of Uruk and get some damn rest! Not so you could desperately work yourself into an early grave! You colossal idiot!!"
Gilgamesh took a massive, furious stride forward. His face twisted in rage, fully intending to grab Takumi by the collar, haul him up, and viciously berate him face-to-face.
Fortunately, Merlin reacted quickly. He immediately grabbed Gilgamesh by the arm, desperately pulling him back before the King could commit such an absurd act.
"Calm down! Calm down, King Gilgamesh! He's already dead! Yelling at his corpse isn't going to make him hear you!"
Merlin planted his feet, putting his entire weight into holding Gilgamesh back while desperately trying to reason with him.
"—Do you honestly think Uruk desperately needed your insignificant little contributions?! Don't flatter yourself, you arrogant brat! Dying over something as trivial as manual labor... I will..."
Despite being physically restrained, Gilgamesh continued to shout, his crimson eyes blazing with genuine, furious grief.
"Takumi probably isn't actually dead."
Standing quietly by the bed, Ana suddenly spoke up.
"Hmm?"
Gilgamesh's fiery tirade came to an abrupt halt. He turned his gaze toward the young girl.
"In the Age of Gods, death is divided into the death of the physical body and the death of the soul. I can see it... The flame inside Takumi is still burning, even if it is incredibly faint..."
Ana stared intently at Takumi's chest. Right where his heart should be, a tiny, flickering flame—no larger than a thumb—was still stubbornly holding on. Her eyes were slightly glazed over in thought.
The elderly woman she had been helping at the flower shop had also lost all signs of life last night. If Ana hadn't carefully analyzed the situation and realized there was still hope for both of them, she probably would have sunk into a deep depression by now.
"Has his soul been dragged away by the Underworld Goddess's Gallu Spirits...?"
Having calmed down slightly, Gilgamesh immediately identified the logical blind spot.
Takumi was not a completely clueless idiot. More accurately, after being fundamentally altered by the [Heart of Fire], it was highly debatable if he could even strictly be considered a normal human anymore.
Dying from sheer exhaustion? For someone like Takumi, if he ever felt he was truly reaching his absolute physical limit, all he had to do was sleep, and he would wake up the next day completely restored. It was a constitution remarkably similar to Gilgamesh's own demigod physiology. Sure, Takumi might feel weak or sluggish after prolonged labor without adequate rest, but a mundane, biological death like that was virtually impossible for someone protected by the Heart of Fire.
In other words, if Takumi actually wanted to die from "Karōshi" (death by overwork), he would find it incredibly difficult. Even if he literally passed out from exhaustion, the [Heart of Fire] would passively sustain him while he slept, ensuring he woke up without a single lasting side effect.
"That seems to be the most likely scenario. The Underworld still exists beneath our feet, and the Goddess of the Underworld appears to have taken a very... special interest in Uruk recently. It isn't just Takumi. Since yesterday evening through this morning, at least several hundred healthy, able-bodied young men in Uruk have inexplicably lost all signs of life. If we count the elderly who passed away as well, the number is nearing a thousand..."
Seeing Gilgamesh regain his composure, Merlin let out a sigh of relief. Wiping away non-existent sweat from his brow, the Magus explained his findings.
Listening to Merlin present his logical, well-reasoned analysis, Ushiwakamaru couldn't help but shoot him a profound side-eye and ruthlessly dismantle his calm facade:
"My, my, Merlin. You certainly seem incredibly calm and collected now. If I recall correctly, when we first discovered Lord Takumi like this, you were the one who reacted the most violently! You literally grabbed him by the shoulders and started shaking his corpse!"
Merlin's ancient face instantly flushed bright red. He instinctively glanced at the slightly wrinkled collar of Takumi's shirt and coughed awkwardly.
"Ahem, ahem. It was just a momentary lapse of reason born from deep concern! Deep concern, I tell you!"
It was true; ever since he had started actually feeling human emotions, there were times when he simply couldn't maintain his usual, detached composure.
"Enough. Cease this pointless banter. Although we can confirm that Takumi is not truly dead, the undeniable fact remains that his soul has been abducted by the Mistress of the Underworld. Our most pressing priority right now is figuring out how to snatch that brat right out of Ereshkigal's hands!"
Gilgamesh impatiently cut off the idle chatter and immediately established the objective.
If some catastrophic, unforeseen event were to occur right now, without Takumi's combat prowess—and knowing the two remaining Goddesses were absolutely not their allies—they would likely be completely annihilated. Therefore, regardless of how they went about it, getting Takumi back as quickly as possible was an absolute necessity.
"While I do possess personal experience descending into the Underworld, I must remain here to govern and defend Uruk. I cannot personally accompany you on this rescue mission... Where is that useless Goddess, Ishtar?!"
As Gilgamesh spoke, his brow furrowed deeply, and he looked around the room, demanding an answer.
"Let me take a look... Ouch!"
Merlin immediately activated his [Clairvoyance (EX)] to try and spy on her. However, he was instantly detected and magically counter-attacked by a certain unscrupulous Goddess, causing him to clutch his eyes in pain.
"Ugh... She's currently lounging in her temple atop Mount Ebih. From the looks of it, she doesn't harbor the slightest intention of coming back here anytime soon."
Rubbing his stinging, teary eyes, Merlin reported helplessly.
"That absolute, utter fool of a Goddess—! Does she genuinely think I'm going to pay her the thirty percent of the treasury we agreed upon?! She hasn't shown her face in eight days! I am docking her pay!"
Gilgamesh clenched his fists, grinding his teeth so hard they audibly creaked. He looked as if he wanted to storm up Mount Ebih and physically drag Ishtar back by her hair.
But after a moment of rational thought, Gilgamesh felt a profound sense of helplessness. Among their available combat assets, Takumi was the absolute strongest, existing entirely outside the normal scale of power. Excluding him, Ishtar was the next strongest. With Takumi currently out of commission, they genuinely lacked any viable means of forcefully coercing her.
"However, aside from myself, that useless Goddess is the only other entity with actual experience navigating the Underworld... Merlin, you and Ana shall depart for Mount Ebih immediately. The situation is critical. Take an advance payment from the treasury if you must, but you will bring her back here!"
Left with no other choice, Gilgamesh was forced to swallow his pride and offer a compromise.
Gilgamesh's delegation of tasks was thoroughly calculated. Ushiwakamaru and Leonidas were intimately familiar with Uruk's military structure and defenses; keeping them in the city ensured they could react immediately if an unexpected attack occurred. Merlin was incredibly cunning, resourceful, and possessed a vast array of magical tricks. While his personality was deeply untrustworthy, he was undeniably the most reliable person Gilgamesh had for this specific job.
As for sending Ana, it was because her scythe possessed a conceptual advantage against spirits and undead entities, making her a perfect counter-pick for the Underworld. While she absolutely couldn't defeat Ereshkigal in a straight fight, as long as they could locate Takumi's soul, her specific abilities would guarantee they had a fighting chance to escape.
Facing Gilgamesh's direct orders, Merlin and Ana didn't show the slightest intention of refusing. They both nodded firmly in acknowledgment.
"Ushiwakamaru, Leonidas. The number of demonic beasts assaulting the northern Absolute Demonic Front should be drastically diminished by now. Wrap up the remaining skirmishes quickly. Then, take a detachment of soldiers and immediately mobilize toward the Persian Gulf. You are to forcibly evacuate every single citizen residing in the towns and villages located in the direct line between the coast and Uruk!"
"Understood!" ×2.
The two Generals accepted their orders with absolute solemnity.
"Siduri. Relocate Takumi's physical body to the most secure, heavily fortified location within the Ziggurat. If his physical vessel is damaged or destroyed, even if they manage to retrieve his soul, it will all be for nothing."
Hearing this, Siduri bowed deeply and immediately left to make the necessary arrangements.
Within moments, the group dispersed to execute their respective tasks. Watching the room empty out, Gilgamesh—who had just authorized a massive withdrawal of treasure for Merlin to use as bait—tilted his head back and let out a profound, weary sigh.
"Sigh. The calm before the storm..."
Shaking his head, Gilgamesh turned to head back to the Ziggurat to resume his endless mountain of work. But the moment he took a step, a sudden wave of intense dizziness washed over him, and he nearly stumbled.
"Ugh..."
Clutching his head, he stood perfectly still for a long moment, waiting for the bout of extreme vertigo to pass before finally regaining his balance.
***
Meanwhile.
Ereshkigal stood beside a cold stone slab, looking down at the peacefully sleeping figure resting upon it, completely enveloped in a transparent, white-gold flame. She placed her hands on her hips, a look of profound, smug triumph plastered across her face:
"Hmph! You were acting so incredibly arrogant, carving up my beautiful Mesopotamia like that! But look at you now! You still ended up right here in my Underworld, didn't you?!"
Perhaps feeling that her words sounded a bit too harsh, Ereshkigal hurriedly coughed twice and quickly backpedaled:
"Ahem, ahem! However, considering how diligently you worked to repair the earth afterward, I suppose I'll magnanimously forgive you this one time!"
Was she actually angry at Takumi? Truthfully, the moment Takumi had begun systematically repairing the massive messes he had made, any lingering resentment Ereshkigal harbored toward him had completely evaporated.
It's important to note: when she first realized Takumi possessed the ability to casually tear open Rifts into her Underworld, and then proceeded to carve a massive, jagged canyon straight across the entirety of Mesopotamia while chasing some random guy, she genuinely thought she would never be able to get back at him for the sheer disrespect.
But she never expected that the moment this human had a second of free time, he would immediately return and begin meticulously repairing the earth. Furthermore, his efficiency at doing so was somehow even faster than hers—and she literally held the divine Authority over the earth! It was incredibly rare to see a human this ridiculously hardworking and diligent. Ereshkigal's anger instantly transformed into intense curiosity, and she began constantly peeking in on Takumi's daily activities.
And as a result, she ended up hearing...
"Ehehe... Gentle, cute, kind-hearted, takes her responsibilities seriously... I'm really not as amazing as he made me sound~"
Recalling the absolute, unadulterated sincerity in Takumi's voice when he praised her, Ereshkigal—who had literally never received genuine praise from a human in her entire existence—couldn't help but cup her flushed cheeks, completely losing herself in a giddy, intoxicated daydream.
"Nine out of ten people would choose Eresh... Mmm, that nickname 'Eresh' sounds incredibly cute!"
Muttering happily to herself, Ereshkigal slowly snapped out of her daydream and began carefully observing Takumi, who was sleeping peacefully in front of her.
She hesitantly reached out her hand, wanting to gently touch the flame enveloping his soul. However, the moment her fingers drew near, the flame suddenly flared violently. Just as Ereshkigal gasped and tried to pull her hand back—assuming the fire was going to burn her—the flame instantly calmed down. Seeming to recognize who she was, it gently lapped at her pale fingers, much like an affectionate kitten licking its owner's hand.
"Did it sense I didn't mean any harm, so it actively suppressed its heat?"
Staring blankly at the flame, Ereshkigal couldn't help but gently stroke it.
It was warm. It was overflowing with pure, unadulterated goodwill. It wasn't blindingly bright, yet it possessed a bizarre, profound radiance, as if it existed solely to guide lost souls through the dark. Just touching it, just looking at it, made her feel a profound warmth spreading outward from the very core of her being, as if she were being wrapped in a cozy, perfectly temperate blanket on a cold winter night.
Truthfully, Ereshkigal had been actively trying to drag Takumi's soul down into the Underworld for several nights now. However, because Takumi always kept a fraction of his consciousness actively training in martial arts while he "slept," he remained in a state of hyper-vigilant semi-consciousness. Blocked perfectly by the [Heart of Fire], Ereshkigal simply couldn't find a single opening to grab him. It wasn't until last night, when Takumi finally dropped his guard and entered a state of true, deep slumber, that Ereshkigal finally managed to succeed.
"It's so beautiful..."
Her crimson pupils reflecting the mesmerizing, brilliant flame and the serene, sleeping face beneath it, Ereshkigal sighed in genuine awe.
She meant that in two completely different ways.
First, obviously, the flame itself was beautiful. Normally, the only fire Ereshkigal ever saw was the ghastly, pale blue ghost-fire of the Underworld. While it technically produced heat, its very nature was eerie and chilling; it didn't provide a single ounce of comforting warmth. Not to mention, having stared at ghost-fire for millennia, Ereshkigal was absolutely sick of it. But the [Heart of Fire] was completely different. Aside from being unexpectedly gorgeous, every passing second she looked at it evoked a completely different, positive emotion. It gave her the profound feeling that she could stare at it for an eternity and never grow bored.
Second, naturally, was...
Looking at Takumi's face illuminated by the warm light of his Heart of Fire, two bright, rosy blushes involuntarily bloomed on Ereshkigal's pale cheeks.
Hesitantly, yet with undeniable determination, she reached out and gently poked Takumi's cheek.
But immediately after doing so, Ereshkigal reacted as if she had just done something unimaginably scandalous. She violently shot up from her seat, bolted to the corner of the room, and squatted down, covering her completely crimson face as she let out an incredibly cute, muffled shriek:
"Waaah!"
No matter how you look at it, he is just entirely too handsome!
After taking a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart, Ereshkigal turned her attention back to the sleeping Takumi.
Although the flame wrapping around him was brilliant and radiant, it couldn't completely mask the profound, bone-deep exhaustion radiating from his soul. This realization made Ereshkigal—who had been religiously stalking his daily routine—feel a sharp pang of genuine heartache.
Regarding Takumi's so-called "rest schedule" before she forcibly kidnapped his soul, Ereshkigal could only describe it as completely nonexistent. If he had actually been sleeping normally, it wouldn't have taken her this many days to finally drag him down here.
"Hmph! Well, setting everything else aside, here in my Underworld, under the absolute protection of the Goddess of Death, you can sleep for as long as you possibly want!"
Just as Ereshkigal was proudly declaring her absolute authority, she suddenly realized a massive, glaring problem:
"Wait a minute! My Underworld... doesn't actually have a single proper bed in it!!!"
Looking frantically around her throne room—which consisted of literally nothing but jagged, barren rocks—Ereshkigal clutched her head in absolute panic.
What exactly did the Underworld possess?
Gallu Spirits. Rocks. The massive cages of spears she created using her Authority. And a portion of the human souls who had died in Mesopotamia since she manifested...
—Aside from herself and the divine garments she wore, there literally wasn't a single thing with any actual color in this entire realm!
Even as the absolute Mistress of the Underworld, the "bed" she usually used to rest on was literally just a flat slab of solid stone...
Although, technically speaking, as a Goddess, she didn't actually require biological sleep.
After a moment of frantic brainstorming, Ereshkigal bit her lip. With a potent mix of intense anticipation and overwhelming embarrassment, she sat down on the cold stone slab. Utilizing her absolute Authority over the Underworld to ensure Takumi remained in a state of deep, undisturbed slumber, she carefully and gently shifted his body, resting his head softly against her lap.
She had to admit, she was likely the only soft thing in this entire, desolate realm.
"There! This is perfect! Resting right here in my lap, you can sleep for as long as you desire..."
Gently running her fingers through Takumi's hair, the Goddess of the Underworld, her face flushed with a shy, rosy hue, stared down at the beautiful youth sleeping in her lap with a gaze that was both incredibly tender and undeniably greedy.